Teddy Geiger Shares First Single Since Coming Out as Transgender

Teddy Geiger was a pop idol back in the '00s (remember "For You I Will"?), but a lot has changed in the decade that's passed. Geiger is now working behind the scenes as an acclaimed songwriter and producer, known for working with Shawn Mendes on his hit singles “Stitches,” “There’s Nothing Holding Me Back,” “Mercy” and “Treat You Better,” and co-producing the 19-year-old's recently released self-titled album, among other projects. Geiger also recently came out as transgender.

With a newfound confidence, the 29-year-old is stepping back into the spotlight under the moniker "teddy<3" and has shared her first single, "I Was In a Cult."

Though known for writing bombastic pop hooks and catchy choruses, she decided not to play it safe for her personal musical endeavors. The new tune shows an edgy, rock side to the producer. Fuzzy guitars wail as she sings about “acting from a place of freedom.”

“There’s no longer this piece of me back there saying, ‘Don’t go there,’" she explained during a recent New York Times interview. "I used to find that I’d sing songs and think, ooh, it sounds like I’m talking about that stuff, and I don’t want to talk about that stuff. But it was just coming out."